Additive Manufacturing System And Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017144224-A1
Application number	US-201615336505-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	May 25, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. Improved structure formation, part creation and manipulation, use of multiple additive manufacturing systems, and high throughput manufacturing methods suitable for automated or semi-automated factories are also disclosed.

First claim

1 . A manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:
providing a powdered material; providing an energy source that can produce an energy beam; directing the energy beam from the energy source toward an energy beam patterning unit to form a two-dimensional patterned energy beam; directing the two-dimensional patterned energy beam against the powder material to form a part having a manipulation point; and moving the part using a manipulator device to engage the manipulation point.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the manipulator device further comprises a robot arm.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing the manipulation point.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of reorienting the part using a manipulation device before adding more powdered material.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of moving the part using the manipulation device to maneuver the part to another processing area.

6 . A part comprising:
a printed structure formed from at least one of a metal, ceramic, plastic, glass metallic hybrid, ceramic hybrid, plastic hybrid, or glass hybrid material and substantially formed using only an additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional patterned energy beam; wherein the printed structure has one or more manipulation points capable of being engaged by a manipulator device.

7 . The part of claim 6 , wherein the manipulation point is a structure projecting from the part.

8 . The part of claim 6 , wherein the manipulation point is a temporary structure projecting from the part that is removable with a directed energy beam.

9 . The part of claim 6 , wherein the manipulation point is a structure defined within the part.

10 . The part of claim 6 , wherein the manipulation point is a structure defined within the part that includes a cavity.

11 . The part of claim 6 , wherein the two-dimensional patterned energy beam is formed from multiple semiconductor lasers directed at an optically addressed light valve.

12 . A method of additive manufacture, the method comprising:
restricting, by an enclosure, an exchange of gaseous matter between an interior of the enclosure and an exterior of the enclosure; identifying a plurality of machines located within the enclosure; executing, by each machine of the plurality of machines, an independent process of additive manufacture comprising directing a patterned energy beam at a powder bed; and maintaining, by a gas management system during the executing, gaseous oxygen, or water within the enclosure below atmospheric level.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the enclosure comprises an airlock interfacing between the interior and the exterior.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising assisting, by a human within the enclosure wearing a self contained breathing apparatus.

15 . A method of additive manufacture, the method comprising:
creating, by a first machine contained within a first enclosure, a first part via a first process comprising additive manufacture using a patterned energy beam, wherein the first part has a weight greater than or equal to 2000 kilograms; maintaining, by a first gas management system during the creating, gaseous oxygen, or water within the first enclosure below atmospheric levels; transporting the first part from inside the first enclosure, through an airlock as the airlock operates to buffer between a gaseous environment within the first enclosure and a gaseous environment outside the first enclosure, and to a location exterior to both the first enclosure and the airlock; and continuously supporting the weight of the first part during the transporting.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of transporting and continuously supporting the first part by using a wheeled vehicle.

17 . An additive manufacturing method, comprising:
providing an energy beam; positioning an optically addressable light patterning unit to receive the energy beam and emit light as two-dimensional patterned beam, with the optically addressable light patterning unit rejecting energy not required to form the two-dimensional patterned beam; relaying the two-dimensional patterned beam and focusing it as a two-dimensional image on a powder bed; and reusing rejected energy with a rejected energy handling unit.

18 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of providing a powdered material;
providing an energy source that can produce an energy beam; directing the energy beam from the energy source toward an energy beam patterning unit to form a two-dimensional patterned energy beam;
directing the two-dimensional patterned energy beam against the powder material to form a part having a manipulation point; and
moving the part using a manipulator device to engage the manipulation point.

19 . A part created by the additive manufacturing method of claim 17 , the part comprising
a printed structure formed from at least one of a metal, ceramic, plastic, glass metallic hybrid, ceramic hybrid, plastic hybrid, or glass hybrid material and substantially formed using only an additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional patterned energy beam; wherein the printed structure has one or more manipulation points capable of being engaged by a manipulator device.

20 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of
restricting, by an enclosure, an exchange of gaseous matter between an interior of the enclosure and an exterior of the enclosure; identifying a plurality of machines located within the enclosure; executing, by each machine of the plurality of machines, an independent process of additive manufacture comprising directing a patterned energy beam at a powder bed; and maintaining, by a gas management system during the executing, gaseous oxygen within the enclosure below atmospheric level.

21 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of creating, by a first machine contained within a first enclosure, a first part via a first process comprising additive manufacture using a patterned energy beam, wherein the first part has a weight greater than or equal to 2000 kilograms;
maintaining, by a first gas management system during the creating, gaseous oxygen within the first enclosure below atmospheric levels; transporting the first part from inside the first enclosure, through an airlock as the airlock operates to buffer between a gaseous environment within the first enclosure and a gaseous environment outside the first enclosure, and to a location exterior to both the first enclosure and the airlock; and continuously supporting the weight of the first part during the transporting.

Assignees

• Seurat Tech Inc

Inventors

• Demuth James A
• Toomre Erik
• Leard Francis L
• Kamshad Kourosh
• Fees Heiner
• Berdichevsky Eugene

Classifications

• B22F10/39

  Traceability, e.g. incorporating identifier into a workpiece or article · CPC title

• B29C64/35

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B29C64/357

  Recycling · CPC title

• B29C64/379

  Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title